Aeroplane



lC. PETERS.

AER-OPLANE.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNEHl 1918.A 1,421,523@ '27,. 7 Pnts-sygsfe22- l v Z9: l

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i@ 5 as ,90 9 97 58 n o a 76 55 was g5. @6 30 E a J5 CARL PETERS, 01"" SAT. LOUIS, *MISSOURI AEROPLANE.

Apucatioii inea :rune 11,

' To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CARL PETERs, a Subject of Russia, residing at St. Louis, in thc State of Missouri, have invented ce1-tain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in aeroplanes, andthe prime ob]e'ct thereof is the provision of meanswhereby an` aeroplane may hover or remain practically motionless in vthe air, or rise vertically at the will of the operator.

Referring to the drawings, which are more or less diagrammatic in character and wherein like numerals indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a biplane em racing my invention; Figure 2 a side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1; Figures 3 to 9, inclusive, detail views,

onv enlarged scale, depicting the construction and arrangement of various `important elements of my invention which shall here-i inafter be particularlydescribed.

The engine of the machine is i-ndicated by numeral 1 and the same is enclosed by the housing' 2.` The crank shaft `3 extends beyond the radiator 4 and serves-to rotate the tractor propeller 5 whichV is retained by nut 6 vor other suitable means. Projecting through brackets 7 mounted upon the top of the engine is a' rod. 8 having a threaded extremity 9 (Figure 6) upon which is mounted a 'wheel 10, the latter liaving a grooved hub 11 retained between the engine housing 2 and plate 12 aixed thereto and thus serving to reciprocate said rod when turned to right-or left by theoperator. The orward portion' of sai rod is bent downwardly opposite the radiator and terminates inv astrap surrounding a' grooved collar 13 which reciprocates on spline 14 aliixed to shaft 3.. Said collar is provided with a hub 15 which is slotted at 16-17 for the reception of arms 18--19 said arms being secured to said hub by screws 20 and their opposite extremit being fixed eccentrically to the top 21 o plugs 22-23 which are connectedby bolt 21a' and tightly screwed within 4pipes 24425, whereby the latter, supported bythe tubular casing 26, are

-turnedin response to the forward or rear- 'vvard movement of collar 13 by rod 8 and thus alter the pitch or angle of propeller blades 5 ailixed to said pipes by bolts.27-.28. .55

.wheels 29 vconnected The machine is supported 1n landing by byaxle 30v to which is Specification of Letters Patent.

38, whereby rotation of worms Patented July a, 1922. 191s. serial No. 239,382.

disposed beneath and' bearing against saidl caps. As shown in Figure 3, rods 38 Aare threaded at 38 for engagement with the vlhub 41a of helical gears 41 which mesh with worms 42 and it will benoted that upon the opposite side of gears 41 said hub is engaged by comparatively short rods 43 which are provided with threads 44 cut in a manner'reverse to the threadin 42 y shafts 45 through the agency of bevel gears 46, 47 and 48 Figure 8) will result in forcing rods 38 an 43 apart or drawing them together accordingto-the direction in which the operator turns gear 47 by means ofl wheel 49 and ure 2).-

Again referring to Figure 8, it will be the connecting shaft 50 (Figseen that gears 41 and worms 42 are re tained in mesh by the provision of collars 51 (one of which is shown) fixed upon shafts 45 and upstanding brackets 52 secured to lan extremity of said shafts, these elements serving Ato support the rigidly connected links 53, 53a and 53h of which4 the latter is curved so as to fit closely vagainst the hub 41a of gears 41. The. center portion of shafts 45 is formed of two sections 45-45" which are pivotally secured at 54-54a to the yoke connections 55 and project within a sleeve 56 which is retained against movement by engagement'with threads 57 provided upon shaft section 45". As indicated at 58-59 sleeve 56 is provided with a narrow, oblong slot through which a pin 60 is projected which asses through shaft section 45, whereby tIhe latter may be drawn outwardly'from said sleeve when thatportion of the shaft extending to the left of pivot 54a `(Figure 8) is raised by the forcing upward of ,one of rods 38m response i to the laterall1 movement offbtubes 35 'occasioned by t eswng' o race 31 upon pivot 32 when the n ilain.` during flight. It will, of course, be apfrom spring 33 and affixedA of rods e tilts laterally` llO y preciated that when one of rods 38 is thus forced/upward the correspondingl rod on theopposite side 'is simultaneously drawn down.

. Rods 43 are pivotally connected at 61 to the bell-crank levers 62which are fulcrumed at 63 upon brackets 64 mounted upon pipes 65, said llevers being connected with others of the same character, indicated at 66, by

rods 67. Pipes 65 serve to enclose the shafts 66 which are driven 'by crank-shaft 3 ,through the. agency ofl bevel-gears 68,- 69 and 69a, the driven shafts terminating in bevelgears 70 which mesh with similar gears' 71 v 'shaped depression 75 formed in the head ofl supported upon ball-bearings 72 by arms 73 mounted upon said pipes. As may be noted by reference to Figures 3 and 7, each -ofthe levers 66 terminates in a pointed member- 74 which projects within a coneshaft 76, the latter beingsupported' by a disc 77 which is' affixed to a yoke 78 depending from said member and provided with a raceway for the retention of` anti-friction' balls79. Shaft 76 is projected through a sleeve 80 fastened to the hub 71"L of gear 71' by a,v small pin or screw 81 and the lower extremity of said shaft is connected with links 82 which engage lugs 83 'extendin laterally from the top of-screw lugs 84 an formed integral therewith as best sh'own in Figures 4 and 5. Plugs 84 are screwed` `tightly within tubes 85 and are connected as shown in Figures 3, 5 and 9 by bolts 86-87 one of which is provided with an enlarged,

.square-cut end 86av which. is engaged by socket 87a formed as an extension of bolt 87 and Ysecured thereto by bolt 88. Tubes 85 carrying the prcpellers 89 are supported l having precisely' the, same operative elements as disclosed in Figures 3, 5 and 7 .heretofore described' `and being driven through the.

' agency of bevel-gears 95-95a meshing with like gears 964-96 alixed to shafts 97--98.

' 'Shaft 98 extends forward within the engine housing and carries a gear 99 meshing with gear 100 allixed to crank-shaft 3, while shaft 97- is rotated by the engagement of bevel- The rear portion of the machine is supgears 95 and 10,1:

ported while at rest by a wheel 102 mounted uponA the lower extremityof a rack 103 which' engages a pinion 104 fixed upon a stub-shaft journaled 4-in adjacent portions cnw-the frame-work, said pinion having a levier 105 connected with a spring 106 and said vrack having an angular bifurcated extension enclosing the upper portion of a similarly constructed rack 107 which also engages said pinin. Bell-crankv levers 108--109 (corresponding in structure and function to levers 62 and 66 shown in Fig,- ure 3) are connected by lrods 110-111 to rack 107 and are automatically operated so as to lessen the pitch or angle of .propellers 93-94 during the forward and; upward travel of the machine by the slight forward movement of said rack occasionedk by the simultaneous rearward swing of the comparatively heavy rack103, both racks again assuming the position shown in Figure 2 when the operator straightens' propeller blades 5 so as to stop the traction of the also be e'ected by rotation of wheel 112 so machine. Operation of levers 108-109 may asto wind cord 113 upon sheave 114 aliixed to shaft 115', thus rotating pinion 104 through the agency of lever 105 which re sults in 'lowering rack 103 and lifting rack 107, said racks being eventually returned to their normal position (as shown) by the pull of spring 106. r

Having thus fully described the inventionv and' the Vconstruction and operation of its several elements; what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is l 1. A flying machine cemprising a tractor propeller, propellers disposed adjacent to the ends of its sustaining surface or sur--4 faces and rotating in a plane substantially parallel thereto, mechanism under control of the operator for altering the pitch or angle of the blades of said propellersto lift the machine vertically, a member pivotally suspended from the machine adaptedto oper# parallel thereto, means for altering the.

pitch or angle of the blades of said tractor durlng flight to control the' speed of the machine independent of the speedof the engine and automatic means for reducing the pitch or angle of the blades of said sustaining propellers during'movement of the machine by said tractor. Y

. 2. A y'ing machine comprising a tractor propeller, propellers disposed adjacent to the ends of its sustaining surface or surfacesA and rotating in a plane'substantially parallel thereto, mechanism under control of the operator' for altering the pitch or angle ofY I the blades of said propellers to lift the ma chine vertically, a member pivotally susi pendedfrom the machine 4adaptedto opertrol of the operator, in response to lateral inclination of said surface or surfaces to correct such inclination, sustaining pro-4 pellers disposed beneath the tail of the ma- 1265 ate said mechanism, independent of the conchine and rotating in a plane substantially pellers during movement of the machine by parallel thereto, means for altering the pitch said tractor. or angle of the blades of said tractor during flight to control the speed of the machine independent of the speed of the engine, and Witnesses: y automatic means for reducing the pitch or W. KEANE SMALL,

CARL PETERS.

- angle of the blades of said sustaimng pro- HELEN M. PRENDIVILLE. 

